The Open Road 3/? [PG-13, R/NC-17 to come]
Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 2:08 pm
THE OPEN ROAD: chapter three
by the AliLamba
****
Back in the car and still in Nevada.
Relena tapped her fingers on the armrest in rhythm with the Fats Domino tune. She was bored. Very bored.
She sighed heavily and looked around the interior of the car. What to do? Relena picked up her newspaper, turning it to the (boring) sports page. She flipped the pages, scanning but not absorbing. She put down the paper.
?Where are we headed??
Heero?s upper body was hunched over the steering wheel, his whole body tense.
?New York.?
Relena?s shoulders dropped.
?I meant today.?
He glanced at her.
?Salt Lake City.?
Relena nodded and turned to look out the window. She had never been to a salty lake before. Her eyes caught on to various traffic signs until?
?Reno?? The biggest?little city on earth?? Relena unconsciously skewed her face after reading the sign. She turned to Heero with a hopeful expression. ?Can we go there, Heero? I?ve never been there.? She smiled at him.
Heero didn?t look in her direction. ?No.?
Relena?s face fell. ?But it?s right there. I only want to drive through it.?
?Relena, there is a purpose to this venture. We don?t have time to stop every time you get an impulse.?
He hit a nerve.
?I didn?t mean for things to turn out the way they did, Heero. But this is supposed to be enjoyable, am I not correct?? her voice came a bit snobbier than she intended, but Relena ignored the slight pang of guilt.
Heero grunted and shifted his position.
?Then we might as well make the tiniest detour.? Relena returned her attention to the upcoming on-ramp expectantly. How can it be big and little at the same time? I wonder if they have foot-long hotdogs. Or maybe they?re only half a foot, but the bun is really big! Relena hummed in pleasant excitement as the exit drew nearer?and nearer?and next?and right along side?and?
?Heero, wait, you?re going to??
?and past?
??miss?it.? Relena?s mouth fell open as she looked sadly at the retreating off-ramp.
?Woops. What do you know.? Heero deadpanned. He was still irrationally pissed about lunch. Heero could acknowledge this. Feeling the small box in his jacket pocket as he took another turn, Heero bristled all over again. Yeah, so he could tell he was being irrational. But he didn?t really care.
***
The Foreign Minister was unusually quiet after that, Heero noticed four hours later, driving through Salt Flats. So much so, that he felt the urge to point out Bonneville Speedway, where an automobile broke the sound barrier for the first time. The inner conflict that resulted ended up coming out as:
?Boone-car sound,? which sounded retarded even to Heero?s ears. He was silently relieved that she didn?t turn around from where she was staring out the window.
By the time they were on the outskirts of the former Utah?s former capitol, Heero could identify a pang of guilt somewhere deep in his gut. Or it could be hunger. Heero thought it was hunger. But then there was the way she hadn?t looked at him for the last couple hundred miles, and he could identify some sort of connection with that and his gut. Her aloofness bothered him. He felt?bad. Relena hadn?t meant for this to happen, and this was supposed to be her vacation.
And he was better than Trowa.
What do you mean, ?She?s not happy.?
He saw his chance when Relena unconsciously awed at the signs pointing out the legendary Salt Lake. The destination was actually Evanston, a small trucking city 82.84 miles past, but only an hour?s drive. Heero checked the time, and made the quick calculations. They were early?
It was all he could do not to grit his teeth as he maneuvered into the slow lane to get off the highway. She would probably like to see the damn puddle. Women liked puddles. He thought. Right? Heero gave up trying to guess and turned on his blinker, indicating the detour.
Relena looked over at him with her brow knitted.
?Heero??
His spine?itched at the sound of her voice. Heero shifted in his seat.
?We got here earlier than I expected. I want to stretch my legs.?
Relena frowned at her driver, if not a little uncomfortably. They really had only stopped for gas since lunch, and it was still daylight. Shrugging to herself, Relena turned back to the roadside. With luck, he would stop close enough to the water for Relena to just dip her toes in?It was such a legendary lake; she wanted to just touch it?
Heero stopped at the t-intersection he found off the one road from the highway. He didn?t think this was really a place for tourists, but he had no intention of trying to meander his ways through Salt Lake City, which lay a few exits ahead. Heero eased the car to the left, assuring himself that they could find shoreline with his better-than-an-eagle-scout instincts.
He found?something.
Heero stood from the car, trying to ignore the awful-smelling quarry across the highway. Relena followed not fifteen seconds later, the interest in her eyes was not lost to her chauffer as she began to walk unconsciously towards the lake. Heero shoved his hands in his jean pockets as he closed his door and strode around the car. Her eyes were alight with curiosity, looking for a way down to the beach.
She walked to a cement landing overlooking the watery expanse. He watched as she inspected the ground?a seal of some Olympic games was graved upon it. She threw a look over her shoulder, connecting eyes with her equally silent partner before heading to the metal rails lining the platform. Taking deliberate steps, Heero came to stand a couple steps behind her.
She looked nice; Heero let himself admit to himself. The wind played with the little bits of her hair, still tied up in a bun at the nape of her neck. Her smile was easy in the face of the wind.
Suddenly Heero felt a tap on his shoulder.
?Excurze me,? Heero turned to see a tourist?all neon clothes and fanny packs, thrusting a camera in his face. His beaming family stood behind him.
Heero glanced back at Relena, catching her softly smiling face. She shrugged.
?Uh?yeah, sure.? Heero offered, making a deft grab for the contraption.
?Oooh! Thank you! Thankyou-thankyou!?
The family assembled by Relena, who moved gracefully to the out of their way. They insisted on posing four different times, and Heero was about to lose his patience, when the father figure approached him. He beamed and accepted the camera, pausing only briefly before fixing the former Gundam pilot with a curious expression.
?FFoto?? he pointed at Heero, and then at Relena, drawing a parallel between them, ?Ffffoto?? he repeated. Heero glanced at the Foreign Minister, seeing her confusion blatant on her features. Her hair was looser now, after being subject to the wind; her cheeks were tinted rose. Without letting himself think, Heero acted for the first time in years on his instinct.
?Sure,? was his collected response, and Heero reached in his back pocket and withdrew the tiny spy camera from seemingly nowhere, ?Don?t break it.?
Relena?s face was still exuding bewilderment as Heero steered her towards where the family had posed themselves moments before. When he released her elbow, turning towards the cameraman, Relena turned her look upwards at his stoic face. He caught her eye.
?What,? was his grunt. Relena was stunned. Was he actually?trying? She shook her head to displace her shock. If this was all she was going to get from him, then might as well make the best of it!
Relena latched onto his arm, raising a delicate hand in a ?peace? gesture. She felt him stiffen inside his skin.
?Ookay!? the tourist yelled, ?On-too-PHREE!?
There was a little flash, and Relena released his arm. Heero unconsciously drifted towards her as she walked to the other man and retrieved his camera.
He watched as she smiled winningly and thanked the family, and said goodbye. When they were on their way back to their own vehicle, Relena?s blue eyes turned on him.
?Since we?re here, we might as well touch it, right?? her innocent smile turned expectant, and she turned to the small dock. Heero grinned.
He thought he was so smooth until a look of pure disgust crawled over her features.
?What is it,? he questioned, stepping closer to the pier. He soon saw the object of her repulsion?hovering six inches off the water and the surrounding banks was a blanket of flies, all buzzing furiously in clumps. Heero felt bile at the back of his throat.
?I don?t think this is where they mean for tourists to go, Heero,? Relena pointed out, inspecting the water?s edge. She was overcome with a fit of girlishness. ?Heero, won?t you touch it, please? Then I can touch your foot, and it?ll still be touching the water!?
Heero gawked openly at her. Was she serious? Disease alone would keep him two feet away, let alone that they were gross and foul smelling. The pleading look on her face let him know she was serious.
?No way.?
?Please Heero?? she drew out the ?please? as long as she could. Her pink tongue licked her lips. This couldn?t help but be noticed.
Heero tried to stare her down, drawing out a ?no? in his mind as long as was humanly possible.
But then her lower lip protruded?just the fraction of an inch.
The grumbles flew from Heero?s mouth in a furious murmur as he leaned to untie his shoe. He missed how her eyes suddenly lit up, but they were glowing when he stood, and leaned his big toe into the disgusting green-brown lake. She practically squeaked when she touched her own toe to his.
The merriment of the moment hung in the air around them when they were back into the car, and Relena?s mood wasn?t even dented as they left Salt Lake City. She chatted idly for the next hour about her brother and Noin, and (though Heero already knew this) his hopeful return trip to Earth. She smiled wistfully when she spoke of their marriage, performed in a private ceremony?just the two of them and the minister through vid-com. Her giggles echoed through the automobile when she mentioned that it looked like it was Milliardo who was pressuring Noin to have children. She cooed at the picturesque scenery?noted how much it looked like a jigsaw puzzle.
Unbeknownst to Heero?s greater judgment, there was something reticent of a smile on his face when he got out of the car, at the cheap motel they found in former Evanston. They walked together to the desk inside, their dispositions so that not even the stench of cheap alcohol and cigarettes could undermine them.
?You want a room?? the woman behind the counter looked as if her skin were hanging off her bones. Her face was violently colored with make up; her hair died a shocking color of orange. Heero tried to hide his immediate distrust.
?Two,? he responded curtly, reaching for his wallet.
?How many hours,? the woman responded, her voice bored. Heero?s head snapped up when he heard her. Did she really think?? His gaze shot to Relena, who looked absolutely horrified. Suddenly defensive, Heero felt his face grow darker. Would it really be completely horrible to be in a situation like that with him? He didn?t know?didn?t care why it bothered him, but it did.
?All night.?
She rattled off an amount, and Heero searched his wallet for the bills.
?Is internet included in that,? he mumbled. It didn?t look like the woman was even looking at him.
?No internet, sir.? Was her nasal reply.
Heero froze. Exc?excuse me?
?No internet,? he repeated.
?Nooo internet.?
?None.?
?No wireless, no dialup, no nothing.?
Heero didn?t miss a beat, ?I, uh, left my wallet in the car,? he responded frantically, ignoring the fact he was clutching the small leather pocket in his fist. He spun on his heel and grabbed Relena?s arm, steering her quickly towards the exit. He didn?t notice her skipping to keep up.
?Heero, it wouldn?t be that terrible. I mean, it?s just a computer.?
Heero froze for the second time in a minute, right outside the motel-lobby door.
?Just?a computer,? he gave her a you-live-under-a-rock look with his eyes, and continued to the car.
***
Four motels, and three drives around town later, Heero was tapping his credit card angrily against the posh marble counter of the brand new resort. Everything in this bum city was either full or without necessary conveniences. They were on a budget, yes, but tonight they would be forced to splurge. Relena was sitting in one of the plush armchairs, flipping through a magazine she picked up from the glass coffee table.
The man with the pencil-thin mustache behind the computer had already decided he disliked the man in front of him. He was having to restrain the look of disgust from the man?s dirty fingernails and five-o-clock shadow as he left dust all over his polished desk.
?We have only two rooms available this evening, monsieur. One, with two queen beds, and one, with one king size bed and a luxurious marble Jacuzzi bath-rub.?
The deskman looked at Heero expectantly, ?I am assuming you will take the latter, for you and the mademoiselle??
Heero opened his mouth, poised to refute and berate the man with the stupid mustache. But then he thought of something. The odd look he received from the deskman earlier that morning?the tourist at the lake?it wouldn?t be exactly wrong to go along with the whole, er, what was the word? ?couple? thing. It was a suitable cover up. He glanced at Relena?s profile out of the corner of his eye, noticing her absorbed in some sort of political journal. He turned back to the pompous ass.
?Yeah, we?ll take the king.?
?Oui, monsieur, oui. Now, will you be paying with paper, check, or credi?? the doorman seemed to suddenly inhale all the air in the room with a vicious gasp.
?Miss?Miss Peacecraft?!?
Heero spun his head around to see Relena striding towards them. She stuck mid-step when she heard her formal name, and her eyes snapped to the employee?s.
Heero almost panicked. He needed something?anything. Did he have his gun? Where was his gun? Relena might scold him later, but he needed to use his gun.
?Third time today!? he heard a cheerful voice coming from behind him. Was that?Relena? ?I?m sorry to disappoint you, sir, but I?m afraid that?s not me. I do get it all the time,? he heard the smile in her voice, and felt her presence by his side. Heero turned his face to catch her weak smile.
The deskman?s face turned completely sour.
?Oh,? he said disdainfully, and reached for the small amount of paperwork, ?if you will just fill this out here, I will get your room key.?
?Room key??? Relena emphasized the fact that it was singular, and turned expectantly to Heero, who was reaching for a pen.
?Yes?? Heero struggled to find the word. It was something sweet, he knew it, ?Rhubarb.?
He heard a choking sound coming from Relena?s direction, and caught her eyes watering out of the corner of his eye. She seemed to be breathing, as evidenced by her shaking shoulders and the heavy inhales he could hear. He decided to ignore it.
***
He surveyed the room. Relena seemed completely comfortable, already sitting on the corner of the plush mattress with the magazine from the lobby in hand. She was massaging her right ankle. The window faced east, he would have to secure that. There was no fire escape, and only one sensible portal out. The bathroom had no access?the air vent had been nailed over with plywood from the bottom of a dresser drawer, which would suffice should anyone try to leak in toxic fumes. The bathtub was big enough to accommodate two grown adults.
Very much grown adults. With nice breasts.
Heero reigned in his abnormally wandering train of thought.
?Are we really going to share a bed, Heero?? her voice filtered into his ears.
?The ground will be sufficient.? As if to emphasize, Heero brushed his shoed foot over the carpeting.
?We could hire a cot for the night,? Relena suggested.
?We?re undercover, Relena. That would be too suspicious.?
?I?m not going to let you sleep on the ground.? She gave him a sardonic look.
?It?s not a big deal. I have slept on worse surfaces.?
?Heero?? she turned her head away, insinuating that the matter would be brought up later. Her eyes came to rest on the television remote, and she picked it up.
Heero went into the bathroom to splash water on his face. Just being in a bedroom again was enough to make him sleepy. And a bedroom with a woman in it did funny things to his brain.
?How about a movie?? she called to him over the rush of the faucet, ?A movie and room service??
His brown mop poked through the bathroom door, ?You can do what you want.?
He just missed the way she rolled her eyes in his direction, and picked out a romantic comedy. Something about?mixed up servers, or something.
She picked up the phone and dialed the kitchen.
?Heero?? she called while it was ringing. He didn?t respond, ?Heero?? the rush of a showerhead was her response, and she noticed the bathroom door was still open. Her cheeks turned furiously pink.
?Le cuisine,? someone answered. Relena corrected in her mind with ?la?.
?Yes, hello. I was looking to order room service??
?Yeess??
?Could I have a house salad sent to room,? she rattled off the number, sparing a glance at the bathroom, ?and a platter of whatever the chef recommends??
?Oui, madame.? The line was broken before Relena had the chance to say thank you. She was spared thinking about the consequences when her movie began.
She didn?t notice when the shower stopped running, but she did turn when she heard the resounding knock on the hotel room door. She moved to get off the bed?and immediately froze.
Heero Yuy wandered out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. A tiny, white, cotton towel. She gawked as he opened the door casually and moved to let the employee enter. He wheeled the cart inside a fraction, allowing Heero enough time to fish a couple of bills from his wallet. The man left content. Heero finally turned to the one who had ordered, and regarded her flushed face, staring vehemently into her lap.
?What is all this,? he crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned to expect the food, noting the bottle of red that came with it.
?Uhhm?? her voice was barely audible, ?Do you think you could??
Heero gave her a sharp look. If he had a pet peeve, it would be people who couldn?t speak up.
?Never mind,? Relena stood from the bed and walked to the cart, lifting the dome covering their meals. One was her salad, complete with four choices of salad dressing, and the other?was?escargots. She looked at Heero with an apologetic face. Heero was giving the meal a guarded look.
?You ordered for me??
?I didn?t know??
Heero plopped down on the edge of the bed and lifted the plate to his lap.
?Heero, you don?t have to eat that. I mean, we can order something else??
?It?s fine, Relena.?
?But?those are snails.? His eyes noted the obvious.
?Just pour me a big glass of whatever?s in that bottle.? He gestured to the wine, and Relena found herself surprised by its presence. She uncorked it and poured two glasses, turning when she heard the soft slurp of something ingesting a snail.
A natural smile spread over her face at the sight. Heero Yuy, Gundam pilot, was hungry.
***
They watched the movie, side by side on the edge of the bed. Relena had missed a major chunk of the middle, but it didn?t seem to matter. They finished their meals and the bottle of wine in relative silence, which continued after the film had stopped. When the last credit rolled, Relena turned to the man still beside her. He was sitting ramrod straight, though his eyes had a glazed look to them.
?We can share the bed, Heero,? she leaned in closer than perhaps she had ever dared to, and was onslaught with his scent, ?I won?t bite.?
Heero cast a sidelong glance down at her, ?I?ll be fine.?
Her brow furrowed, ?Heero, I?m not going to let you. You might as well accept that now, so that I don?t have to prove it to you.?
Heero?s face darkened in thought. Relena hiccupped.
?Relena, you?re drunk.?
?I am not,? she said indignantly, trying to raise herself on her own two feet, but trembling dangerously.
Heero checked his wristwatch, ?You should get to bed. I want to leave by 0800.?
Relena was giving him a dangerous look.
?Heero, you will get in bed right now or so help me?? Heero stood and wandered to the bathroom, set on putting on some decent clothes. Relena hmphed at his departure, and spun to sit on the left edge of the bed, her back to the bathroom. She felt her eyes start to drift shut almost immediately, but forced them to stay open. Why did it all of a sudden seem to be such a long day? She didn?t feel herself wobble, but noticed that when two hands gripped her shoulders, she was halfway to the mattress.
?I?m going to force you to lay down now, Relena,? the voice attached to the clothed body said. She hmphed again, though she didn?t know why. The hands pushed her torso gently onto the covers, and picked up her feet to lay them on the bedspread. Relena stirred when she felt the softness of the pillow.
?Heero?? the hands froze, mostly because of whispery tone of the voice.
Relena used most of the energy she had left to open her eyes, and find Heero?s.
?Please??
His mind was in sudden turmoil. Everything but his brain was moving towards the bed, moving to throw himself on top of Relena and encompass everything that was her. For the second time that day, he ignored all logic.
?All right, fine.?
****
Huzzzaaah~~~ Thanks for reading! -Ali
Coming up next: To Wyoming! What is in that mysterious box? What do fireworks have to do with anything? Why are they so much fun?
by the AliLamba
****
Back in the car and still in Nevada.
Relena tapped her fingers on the armrest in rhythm with the Fats Domino tune. She was bored. Very bored.
She sighed heavily and looked around the interior of the car. What to do? Relena picked up her newspaper, turning it to the (boring) sports page. She flipped the pages, scanning but not absorbing. She put down the paper.
?Where are we headed??
Heero?s upper body was hunched over the steering wheel, his whole body tense.
?New York.?
Relena?s shoulders dropped.
?I meant today.?
He glanced at her.
?Salt Lake City.?
Relena nodded and turned to look out the window. She had never been to a salty lake before. Her eyes caught on to various traffic signs until?
?Reno?? The biggest?little city on earth?? Relena unconsciously skewed her face after reading the sign. She turned to Heero with a hopeful expression. ?Can we go there, Heero? I?ve never been there.? She smiled at him.
Heero didn?t look in her direction. ?No.?
Relena?s face fell. ?But it?s right there. I only want to drive through it.?
?Relena, there is a purpose to this venture. We don?t have time to stop every time you get an impulse.?
He hit a nerve.
?I didn?t mean for things to turn out the way they did, Heero. But this is supposed to be enjoyable, am I not correct?? her voice came a bit snobbier than she intended, but Relena ignored the slight pang of guilt.
Heero grunted and shifted his position.
?Then we might as well make the tiniest detour.? Relena returned her attention to the upcoming on-ramp expectantly. How can it be big and little at the same time? I wonder if they have foot-long hotdogs. Or maybe they?re only half a foot, but the bun is really big! Relena hummed in pleasant excitement as the exit drew nearer?and nearer?and next?and right along side?and?
?Heero, wait, you?re going to??
?and past?
??miss?it.? Relena?s mouth fell open as she looked sadly at the retreating off-ramp.
?Woops. What do you know.? Heero deadpanned. He was still irrationally pissed about lunch. Heero could acknowledge this. Feeling the small box in his jacket pocket as he took another turn, Heero bristled all over again. Yeah, so he could tell he was being irrational. But he didn?t really care.
***
The Foreign Minister was unusually quiet after that, Heero noticed four hours later, driving through Salt Flats. So much so, that he felt the urge to point out Bonneville Speedway, where an automobile broke the sound barrier for the first time. The inner conflict that resulted ended up coming out as:
?Boone-car sound,? which sounded retarded even to Heero?s ears. He was silently relieved that she didn?t turn around from where she was staring out the window.
By the time they were on the outskirts of the former Utah?s former capitol, Heero could identify a pang of guilt somewhere deep in his gut. Or it could be hunger. Heero thought it was hunger. But then there was the way she hadn?t looked at him for the last couple hundred miles, and he could identify some sort of connection with that and his gut. Her aloofness bothered him. He felt?bad. Relena hadn?t meant for this to happen, and this was supposed to be her vacation.
And he was better than Trowa.
What do you mean, ?She?s not happy.?
He saw his chance when Relena unconsciously awed at the signs pointing out the legendary Salt Lake. The destination was actually Evanston, a small trucking city 82.84 miles past, but only an hour?s drive. Heero checked the time, and made the quick calculations. They were early?
It was all he could do not to grit his teeth as he maneuvered into the slow lane to get off the highway. She would probably like to see the damn puddle. Women liked puddles. He thought. Right? Heero gave up trying to guess and turned on his blinker, indicating the detour.
Relena looked over at him with her brow knitted.
?Heero??
His spine?itched at the sound of her voice. Heero shifted in his seat.
?We got here earlier than I expected. I want to stretch my legs.?
Relena frowned at her driver, if not a little uncomfortably. They really had only stopped for gas since lunch, and it was still daylight. Shrugging to herself, Relena turned back to the roadside. With luck, he would stop close enough to the water for Relena to just dip her toes in?It was such a legendary lake; she wanted to just touch it?
Heero stopped at the t-intersection he found off the one road from the highway. He didn?t think this was really a place for tourists, but he had no intention of trying to meander his ways through Salt Lake City, which lay a few exits ahead. Heero eased the car to the left, assuring himself that they could find shoreline with his better-than-an-eagle-scout instincts.
He found?something.
Heero stood from the car, trying to ignore the awful-smelling quarry across the highway. Relena followed not fifteen seconds later, the interest in her eyes was not lost to her chauffer as she began to walk unconsciously towards the lake. Heero shoved his hands in his jean pockets as he closed his door and strode around the car. Her eyes were alight with curiosity, looking for a way down to the beach.
She walked to a cement landing overlooking the watery expanse. He watched as she inspected the ground?a seal of some Olympic games was graved upon it. She threw a look over her shoulder, connecting eyes with her equally silent partner before heading to the metal rails lining the platform. Taking deliberate steps, Heero came to stand a couple steps behind her.
She looked nice; Heero let himself admit to himself. The wind played with the little bits of her hair, still tied up in a bun at the nape of her neck. Her smile was easy in the face of the wind.
Suddenly Heero felt a tap on his shoulder.
?Excurze me,? Heero turned to see a tourist?all neon clothes and fanny packs, thrusting a camera in his face. His beaming family stood behind him.
Heero glanced back at Relena, catching her softly smiling face. She shrugged.
?Uh?yeah, sure.? Heero offered, making a deft grab for the contraption.
?Oooh! Thank you! Thankyou-thankyou!?
The family assembled by Relena, who moved gracefully to the out of their way. They insisted on posing four different times, and Heero was about to lose his patience, when the father figure approached him. He beamed and accepted the camera, pausing only briefly before fixing the former Gundam pilot with a curious expression.
?FFoto?? he pointed at Heero, and then at Relena, drawing a parallel between them, ?Ffffoto?? he repeated. Heero glanced at the Foreign Minister, seeing her confusion blatant on her features. Her hair was looser now, after being subject to the wind; her cheeks were tinted rose. Without letting himself think, Heero acted for the first time in years on his instinct.
?Sure,? was his collected response, and Heero reached in his back pocket and withdrew the tiny spy camera from seemingly nowhere, ?Don?t break it.?
Relena?s face was still exuding bewilderment as Heero steered her towards where the family had posed themselves moments before. When he released her elbow, turning towards the cameraman, Relena turned her look upwards at his stoic face. He caught her eye.
?What,? was his grunt. Relena was stunned. Was he actually?trying? She shook her head to displace her shock. If this was all she was going to get from him, then might as well make the best of it!
Relena latched onto his arm, raising a delicate hand in a ?peace? gesture. She felt him stiffen inside his skin.
?Ookay!? the tourist yelled, ?On-too-PHREE!?
There was a little flash, and Relena released his arm. Heero unconsciously drifted towards her as she walked to the other man and retrieved his camera.
He watched as she smiled winningly and thanked the family, and said goodbye. When they were on their way back to their own vehicle, Relena?s blue eyes turned on him.
?Since we?re here, we might as well touch it, right?? her innocent smile turned expectant, and she turned to the small dock. Heero grinned.
He thought he was so smooth until a look of pure disgust crawled over her features.
?What is it,? he questioned, stepping closer to the pier. He soon saw the object of her repulsion?hovering six inches off the water and the surrounding banks was a blanket of flies, all buzzing furiously in clumps. Heero felt bile at the back of his throat.
?I don?t think this is where they mean for tourists to go, Heero,? Relena pointed out, inspecting the water?s edge. She was overcome with a fit of girlishness. ?Heero, won?t you touch it, please? Then I can touch your foot, and it?ll still be touching the water!?
Heero gawked openly at her. Was she serious? Disease alone would keep him two feet away, let alone that they were gross and foul smelling. The pleading look on her face let him know she was serious.
?No way.?
?Please Heero?? she drew out the ?please? as long as she could. Her pink tongue licked her lips. This couldn?t help but be noticed.
Heero tried to stare her down, drawing out a ?no? in his mind as long as was humanly possible.
But then her lower lip protruded?just the fraction of an inch.
The grumbles flew from Heero?s mouth in a furious murmur as he leaned to untie his shoe. He missed how her eyes suddenly lit up, but they were glowing when he stood, and leaned his big toe into the disgusting green-brown lake. She practically squeaked when she touched her own toe to his.
The merriment of the moment hung in the air around them when they were back into the car, and Relena?s mood wasn?t even dented as they left Salt Lake City. She chatted idly for the next hour about her brother and Noin, and (though Heero already knew this) his hopeful return trip to Earth. She smiled wistfully when she spoke of their marriage, performed in a private ceremony?just the two of them and the minister through vid-com. Her giggles echoed through the automobile when she mentioned that it looked like it was Milliardo who was pressuring Noin to have children. She cooed at the picturesque scenery?noted how much it looked like a jigsaw puzzle.
Unbeknownst to Heero?s greater judgment, there was something reticent of a smile on his face when he got out of the car, at the cheap motel they found in former Evanston. They walked together to the desk inside, their dispositions so that not even the stench of cheap alcohol and cigarettes could undermine them.
?You want a room?? the woman behind the counter looked as if her skin were hanging off her bones. Her face was violently colored with make up; her hair died a shocking color of orange. Heero tried to hide his immediate distrust.
?Two,? he responded curtly, reaching for his wallet.
?How many hours,? the woman responded, her voice bored. Heero?s head snapped up when he heard her. Did she really think?? His gaze shot to Relena, who looked absolutely horrified. Suddenly defensive, Heero felt his face grow darker. Would it really be completely horrible to be in a situation like that with him? He didn?t know?didn?t care why it bothered him, but it did.
?All night.?
She rattled off an amount, and Heero searched his wallet for the bills.
?Is internet included in that,? he mumbled. It didn?t look like the woman was even looking at him.
?No internet, sir.? Was her nasal reply.
Heero froze. Exc?excuse me?
?No internet,? he repeated.
?Nooo internet.?
?None.?
?No wireless, no dialup, no nothing.?
Heero didn?t miss a beat, ?I, uh, left my wallet in the car,? he responded frantically, ignoring the fact he was clutching the small leather pocket in his fist. He spun on his heel and grabbed Relena?s arm, steering her quickly towards the exit. He didn?t notice her skipping to keep up.
?Heero, it wouldn?t be that terrible. I mean, it?s just a computer.?
Heero froze for the second time in a minute, right outside the motel-lobby door.
?Just?a computer,? he gave her a you-live-under-a-rock look with his eyes, and continued to the car.
***
Four motels, and three drives around town later, Heero was tapping his credit card angrily against the posh marble counter of the brand new resort. Everything in this bum city was either full or without necessary conveniences. They were on a budget, yes, but tonight they would be forced to splurge. Relena was sitting in one of the plush armchairs, flipping through a magazine she picked up from the glass coffee table.
The man with the pencil-thin mustache behind the computer had already decided he disliked the man in front of him. He was having to restrain the look of disgust from the man?s dirty fingernails and five-o-clock shadow as he left dust all over his polished desk.
?We have only two rooms available this evening, monsieur. One, with two queen beds, and one, with one king size bed and a luxurious marble Jacuzzi bath-rub.?
The deskman looked at Heero expectantly, ?I am assuming you will take the latter, for you and the mademoiselle??
Heero opened his mouth, poised to refute and berate the man with the stupid mustache. But then he thought of something. The odd look he received from the deskman earlier that morning?the tourist at the lake?it wouldn?t be exactly wrong to go along with the whole, er, what was the word? ?couple? thing. It was a suitable cover up. He glanced at Relena?s profile out of the corner of his eye, noticing her absorbed in some sort of political journal. He turned back to the pompous ass.
?Yeah, we?ll take the king.?
?Oui, monsieur, oui. Now, will you be paying with paper, check, or credi?? the doorman seemed to suddenly inhale all the air in the room with a vicious gasp.
?Miss?Miss Peacecraft?!?
Heero spun his head around to see Relena striding towards them. She stuck mid-step when she heard her formal name, and her eyes snapped to the employee?s.
Heero almost panicked. He needed something?anything. Did he have his gun? Where was his gun? Relena might scold him later, but he needed to use his gun.
?Third time today!? he heard a cheerful voice coming from behind him. Was that?Relena? ?I?m sorry to disappoint you, sir, but I?m afraid that?s not me. I do get it all the time,? he heard the smile in her voice, and felt her presence by his side. Heero turned his face to catch her weak smile.
The deskman?s face turned completely sour.
?Oh,? he said disdainfully, and reached for the small amount of paperwork, ?if you will just fill this out here, I will get your room key.?
?Room key??? Relena emphasized the fact that it was singular, and turned expectantly to Heero, who was reaching for a pen.
?Yes?? Heero struggled to find the word. It was something sweet, he knew it, ?Rhubarb.?
He heard a choking sound coming from Relena?s direction, and caught her eyes watering out of the corner of his eye. She seemed to be breathing, as evidenced by her shaking shoulders and the heavy inhales he could hear. He decided to ignore it.
***
He surveyed the room. Relena seemed completely comfortable, already sitting on the corner of the plush mattress with the magazine from the lobby in hand. She was massaging her right ankle. The window faced east, he would have to secure that. There was no fire escape, and only one sensible portal out. The bathroom had no access?the air vent had been nailed over with plywood from the bottom of a dresser drawer, which would suffice should anyone try to leak in toxic fumes. The bathtub was big enough to accommodate two grown adults.
Very much grown adults. With nice breasts.
Heero reigned in his abnormally wandering train of thought.
?Are we really going to share a bed, Heero?? her voice filtered into his ears.
?The ground will be sufficient.? As if to emphasize, Heero brushed his shoed foot over the carpeting.
?We could hire a cot for the night,? Relena suggested.
?We?re undercover, Relena. That would be too suspicious.?
?I?m not going to let you sleep on the ground.? She gave him a sardonic look.
?It?s not a big deal. I have slept on worse surfaces.?
?Heero?? she turned her head away, insinuating that the matter would be brought up later. Her eyes came to rest on the television remote, and she picked it up.
Heero went into the bathroom to splash water on his face. Just being in a bedroom again was enough to make him sleepy. And a bedroom with a woman in it did funny things to his brain.
?How about a movie?? she called to him over the rush of the faucet, ?A movie and room service??
His brown mop poked through the bathroom door, ?You can do what you want.?
He just missed the way she rolled her eyes in his direction, and picked out a romantic comedy. Something about?mixed up servers, or something.
She picked up the phone and dialed the kitchen.
?Heero?? she called while it was ringing. He didn?t respond, ?Heero?? the rush of a showerhead was her response, and she noticed the bathroom door was still open. Her cheeks turned furiously pink.
?Le cuisine,? someone answered. Relena corrected in her mind with ?la?.
?Yes, hello. I was looking to order room service??
?Yeess??
?Could I have a house salad sent to room,? she rattled off the number, sparing a glance at the bathroom, ?and a platter of whatever the chef recommends??
?Oui, madame.? The line was broken before Relena had the chance to say thank you. She was spared thinking about the consequences when her movie began.
She didn?t notice when the shower stopped running, but she did turn when she heard the resounding knock on the hotel room door. She moved to get off the bed?and immediately froze.
Heero Yuy wandered out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. A tiny, white, cotton towel. She gawked as he opened the door casually and moved to let the employee enter. He wheeled the cart inside a fraction, allowing Heero enough time to fish a couple of bills from his wallet. The man left content. Heero finally turned to the one who had ordered, and regarded her flushed face, staring vehemently into her lap.
?What is all this,? he crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned to expect the food, noting the bottle of red that came with it.
?Uhhm?? her voice was barely audible, ?Do you think you could??
Heero gave her a sharp look. If he had a pet peeve, it would be people who couldn?t speak up.
?Never mind,? Relena stood from the bed and walked to the cart, lifting the dome covering their meals. One was her salad, complete with four choices of salad dressing, and the other?was?escargots. She looked at Heero with an apologetic face. Heero was giving the meal a guarded look.
?You ordered for me??
?I didn?t know??
Heero plopped down on the edge of the bed and lifted the plate to his lap.
?Heero, you don?t have to eat that. I mean, we can order something else??
?It?s fine, Relena.?
?But?those are snails.? His eyes noted the obvious.
?Just pour me a big glass of whatever?s in that bottle.? He gestured to the wine, and Relena found herself surprised by its presence. She uncorked it and poured two glasses, turning when she heard the soft slurp of something ingesting a snail.
A natural smile spread over her face at the sight. Heero Yuy, Gundam pilot, was hungry.
***
They watched the movie, side by side on the edge of the bed. Relena had missed a major chunk of the middle, but it didn?t seem to matter. They finished their meals and the bottle of wine in relative silence, which continued after the film had stopped. When the last credit rolled, Relena turned to the man still beside her. He was sitting ramrod straight, though his eyes had a glazed look to them.
?We can share the bed, Heero,? she leaned in closer than perhaps she had ever dared to, and was onslaught with his scent, ?I won?t bite.?
Heero cast a sidelong glance down at her, ?I?ll be fine.?
Her brow furrowed, ?Heero, I?m not going to let you. You might as well accept that now, so that I don?t have to prove it to you.?
Heero?s face darkened in thought. Relena hiccupped.
?Relena, you?re drunk.?
?I am not,? she said indignantly, trying to raise herself on her own two feet, but trembling dangerously.
Heero checked his wristwatch, ?You should get to bed. I want to leave by 0800.?
Relena was giving him a dangerous look.
?Heero, you will get in bed right now or so help me?? Heero stood and wandered to the bathroom, set on putting on some decent clothes. Relena hmphed at his departure, and spun to sit on the left edge of the bed, her back to the bathroom. She felt her eyes start to drift shut almost immediately, but forced them to stay open. Why did it all of a sudden seem to be such a long day? She didn?t feel herself wobble, but noticed that when two hands gripped her shoulders, she was halfway to the mattress.
?I?m going to force you to lay down now, Relena,? the voice attached to the clothed body said. She hmphed again, though she didn?t know why. The hands pushed her torso gently onto the covers, and picked up her feet to lay them on the bedspread. Relena stirred when she felt the softness of the pillow.
?Heero?? the hands froze, mostly because of whispery tone of the voice.
Relena used most of the energy she had left to open her eyes, and find Heero?s.
?Please??
His mind was in sudden turmoil. Everything but his brain was moving towards the bed, moving to throw himself on top of Relena and encompass everything that was her. For the second time that day, he ignored all logic.
?All right, fine.?
****
Huzzzaaah~~~ Thanks for reading! -Ali
Coming up next: To Wyoming! What is in that mysterious box? What do fireworks have to do with anything? Why are they so much fun?
Oh, I love this chapter. Heero will succumb, whether he likes it not. 
